Spiritual Parenting
By
Katherine Siswick-Clark
Spirituality is often an
area that is overlooked when we think of children and their upbringing.
Yet it holds great importance when we look at the meaning of all our
lives. Spirituality has
little to do with religion; religion in my view is simply a means a
person chooses to explore their spirituality. Spirituality, I feel, is
the essence of who we are; our divinity; our oneness, that which
connects us to everyone around us, the world in which we live and our
higher selves, or if you like God. We are more than just the physical
being we see when we look in the mirror, much more. In fact that
physical body is a tiny part of the presence that lies within all of us.
When we have a child we
are safeguarded with a spirit that has chosen us to introduce them to
their new world. This spirit is older and wiser than would first appear
and they have as much to teach us, as we do them. Children show us daily
how to embrace life, to live in the now. They show us the magic and
wonder that surrounds us and which we, through many years of
conditioning, have grown to deny. They hold none of the judgments and
cynicism that we have grown so accustomed to. Their minds and hearts are
open; they are guided by their intuition and are so in tune with their
inner experiences. This
special connection, as I see it, needs to be nurtured so that as they
grow they remain in tune with who they are and continue to see and
experience the goodness and joy the world has to offer them.
By helping our children to maintain a connection with their
higher-selves, we are giving them the means to overcome fears and
feelings of isolation. We
are teaching them to discover, accept, trust and love themselves and the
world that surrounds them; enabling them to find their unique and
special purpose, their contribution to the world.
There
are many ways in which we can help our children hold on to their
spiritual affinity and in turn help ourselves too.
In my view there is no hard and fast rule to parenting, or
spiritual parenting for that matter. It is about finding what works for
your family. Each child is
unique and by being aware, incorporating and embracing our child’s inner
experiences in our parenting approach we can connect better with our
child. This is at times a
challenging task as it means that we to have to work on our own
reactions and belief systems.
However, by bringing awareness to the needs and behavior of all
those involved and by quieting our minds long enough to hear our own
higher-selves we can find the solutions that will fit us and our
children best. By being open to learning how to work with our children
we can find a way forward. Active listening is a great tool in gaining
insight and knowledge in helping us to teach and guide them through
their lives. By finding some time to really listen and focus on our
children we are invited to join their world and their experiences.
By aiming to be as open, relaxed and non-judgmental as possible,
we allow our children to express themselves fully.
Some of the specific
areas you might want to focus on as a spiritual parent include:
Teaching Trust
By
always being there for our children we show them that they are taken
care of, we give them a sense of faith in us initially and then this can
become the foundation to them having faith in others, themselves, and
their divinity, whatever their belief system.
This trust allows our children to fully explore and experience
their life and all that surrounds them, both physically and spiritually.
Oneness
Through teaching our children that we are part of everything that
surrounds us we show our divinity, and we encourage them to see the
meaning and importance in their lives.
Oneness can also help children to empathize with others and have
compassion. Through oneness
Children can also feel love for themselves, those around them and the
world in which they live.
Virtues
By
helping our children understand basic virtues we encourage them to find
ways of living happily alongside others.
We are giving them the means to understand the world in which
they live, and how to find peace and happiness.
They begin to appreciate that we are all equally important no
matter what our differences or our beliefs.
Our children can learn how to make informed choices, by allowing
them to consider the consequences of their actions, their needs and the
feelings of others.
Intuition
Through helping our children to stay connected to their inner guide,
their intuition, is extremely important as it helps them to better
understand themselves and their feelings.
This enables them to trust themselves and make decisions that
they feel good about. They
can choose that which benefits and supports their highest good, a
wonderful ability to have as they go through their lives.
Gratitude
Through gratitude and prayer children become aware of all that they have
been blessed with in their lives.
This gives them a positive focus rather than one that comes from
negativity and lack. This
positive focus is important for their very wellbeing and it also
directly relates to what they are able to create and manifest in their
lives. Much has been
spoken of the connection between gratitude and the law of attraction in
Quantum physics. Gratitude
and prayer also help children to see how they are taken care of, and
this giving thanks reinforces their faith and trust in the divine, the
higher source, or if you like ‘God’.
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